What are these?....

[McRhu]

Photo of the track at Busby on the East Kilbride line. What are these items bolted onto the sleepers? I take it they're to stop lateral track movement (note the plates embedded in the ballast), but I've never seen them before.

 

[DarloRich]

I take it they're to stop lateral track movement (note the plates embedded in the ballast), but I've never seen them before.

Correct - they are quite common

 

[McRhu]

Many thanks. They look a bit 'shoogly' which had made me wonder if that was indeed their purpose.

 

[CEN60]

They are called - Lateral Resistance End Plate (although these ones are attached to the cr. of the sleeper, there are different flavours that also attach to the end of the sleeper) - they are indeed to help with resisting lateral movement - particularly on tight curves.

 

[MarkyT]

They are called - Lateral Resistance End Plate (although these ones are attached to the cr. of the sleeper, there are different flavours that also attach to the end of the sleeper) - they are indeed to help with resisting lateral movement - particularly on tight curves.

And useful to help maintain platform edge clearance where there's an increased risk of lateral movement, such as on curves, or for other tight structural clearance scenarios.

 

[McRhu]

Thanks all.

 

[swt_passenger]

Thanks all.

Here’s a manufacturers leaflet which shows the bits in the ballast that aren’t usually visible:

https://media.vossloh.com/media/01_product_finder/vfs/system_schwellenanker_sn/Vos_Produktflyer_Schwellenanker-SN_EN.pdf

 

[McRhu]

Thank you.